Last Glance At Old Carroll Gardens Subway Plaza on Second Place

photo credit: Gary Reilly

KSQ Architects' design for 360 Smith Street

K.S.Q.Architects' rendering of new subway plaza

Now you see it, soon you won't!

A last glimpse at the old 2nd Place subway plaza before it is plowed under to make way for Bill Stein's out-of-scale luxury condo development at 360 Smith Street. Mr. Stein had promised to restore the plaza once construction is completed. We can only hope.

The renderings of the building above were presented by Stein to the Carroll Gardens community in February 2008. Back then, Stein had fired the highly controversial architect Robert Scarano and had hired Armand Quadrini of K.S.Q. Architects to redesign the 70 feet condo building.

Construction at the 360 Smith Street/ 131 2nd Place site came to an abrupt halt in July 2008, when developer Bill Stein's development was slapped with a Stop Work Order immediately after the City Council passed the Carroll Gardens Wide Street Zoning Text Amendment, which limits permitted building height and density in Carroll Gardens.
Developer Stein promptly took his case in front of the Board of Standards and Appeals, that oh-so-contentious board that grants developers exemptions in cases such as this.

Mr. Stein eventually won his fight, but construction only resumed a few weeks ago. As of last week, the main subway station has been closed and will only reopen in 2010.

It is unclear, if Armand Quadrini's design for 360 Smith Street has been modified in the meantime or if the building will still look like the rendering above.

* Thanks to Gary Reilly for allowing me to post his photo



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